


The Remarkable Miss Belladonna Took, or, A Long-Expected Journey

by Mizbingley



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: An in-depth look into the Took family tree, Gen, To think I would live to be good morning'd by the son of Belladonna Took
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-18
Updated: 2013-04-18
Packaged: 2017-12-08 20:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizbingley/pseuds/Mizbingley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belladonna Took has always longed to go on an adventure and see the Elves of Gandalf's stories. In T.A. 2877, her 33rd birthday (and Hobbit coming-of-age) looms in the distance. She has begun to feel that her chances of ever escaping the Shire are dwindling. Of course, dwindling chances and lost hope are breeding grounds for the sudden appearance of wizards.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Remarkable Miss Belladonna Took, or, A Long-Expected Journey

T.A. 2877

 

Belladonna Took was a remarkable young Hobbit; she was remarkably pretty and remarkably clever and remarkably bored as she passed her youth in Tuckborough, waiting to come of age, which she was sure would be equally and remarkably boring. She lived in very deep hole in the ground with her mother Adamanta, and her father Gerontius, and her increasing number of brothers and sisters, who never ceased to amuse the weathered grey wizard who came to visit from time to time. 

“Good morning, Miss Took,” Gandalf called out as he made his way up the road to the Great Smials, and leaned on his staff. 

“Good morning indeed!” she answered saucily, bouncing a wailing hobbit babe on her hip. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on!” She shifted the squirming child over her shoulder to free a hand and offered it for him to grasp.

“It is certainly a good morning to speak with a petulant Took!” he chuckled and stooped to peck Belladonna’s hand. “And how are you, young er…” he furrowed his bushy eyebrows, trying to remember. “Young Isengar!” he said, crooking a finger under the babe’s pudgy chin.

“Isumbras,” Belladonna said grinning, and nodded at a boy running down the road with a kite. “There’s Isengar.”

“Isumbras!” Gandalf cried and squinted at the young hobbit boy who ran past the tall stranger and stood shyly by his sister. “Another Took! Are you sure hobbits live in this hole and not, perhaps, rabbits?”

“Maybe we’re robbits!” she giggled, “Isengrim’s ears are certainly large enough!”

“But tell me, Belladonna, do you rabbity Hobbits also age backwards? Isumbras should be… why, thirty-odd years old by now! But this Isumbras I see before me is a mere babe!” He looked her up and down searchingly. “He wouldn’t happen to be your babe, Belladonna?”

“No-o-o!” she sighed and beckoned the grey wanderer to step through the gate. “You must come by more often, Gandalf, or you’ll never be able to keep up! Isumbras is Isembold’s first child!” 

“Ah-hah, named for his elder brother, I suppose.”

“Mmmm, you should have been here when it was announced, father and Isengrim were spitting mad. And Isumbras, that is to say, the uncle and namesake, has been walking around as if he himself were Thain of the Shire,” she laughed, and jerked her head towards the door. “Isengar get the door for me, will you.”

Isengar stood staring at the wizard for a few moments, as though frozen. Belladonna aimed a swift kick at the back of his legs.

“On with it then! My arms are getting tired from holding up this little potato, and I’m sure Gandalf is tired from his travels. Hurry up, or he’ll strap you to a whiz-popper and shoot you off at father’s birthday, eh? A fine sight for us all.” At this, Isengar found his legs and swung open the door, and Belladonna led her visitor inside. 

The grand sitting room of the Great Smials, Gandalf noticed, was in much neater order than when last he came to call. With the aging up of Gerontius’ brood, many of the young hobbits that had previously put Adamanta’s holekeeping to the test had moved into adjacent holes with their own fledgling families, or otherwise learned to pick up after themselves.

“Well then,” Gandalf huffed and handed Isengar his staff, “Isengar, you must be, hmmm, hmm…”

“Near fifteen, sir,” he squeaked, gripping the staff tightly.

“Fifteen! By my beard, I have been away long.”

“Three years, Gandalf,” Belladonna said, smiling sadly.

“I must make an effort to come by more regularly! The next time I see you, Bell, that might very well be your own child on your hip!” he chuckled, but paused when he saw her eyes flash with something dark and sad. A high-pitched giggle suddenly pierced the air, and Gandalf started, ever surprised by quiet Took feet.

“Belladonna’s own child! I should live to see the day,” cried a pretty hobbit girl, not much younger than Belladonna. She carried a tea tray into the room and placed it on the table. “Mister Gandalf, it’s so nice to see you again, and just in time for father’s eighty-seventh birthday! Oh, he’ll be so pleased,” she gushed, as Gandalf squinted, trying to place her. It could be Donnamira or Mirabella—fool Tooks, all of their names were beginning to run together.

“I should hope not, Donna,” Belladonna sniffed, “If the mere notion makes you shriek like that, imagine what the actual child would do. Poor babe would be deaf within minutes of birth.” Donnamira swatted at her older sister, who responded by dumping the baby into her arms.

“It’s good to see you as well, Donna,” Gandalf said courteously, and nodded his head. “I wonder, might you fetch Gerontius for me? I have something to discuss with him.” Donna frowned, indignant to be dismissed, and turned on her heel to go fetch him, bouncing the baby aggressively with every step.

“You shan’t be popular with her much longer,” Belladonna grinned and sat back in her chair.

“Alas, I think not--but there will always be more Tooks to take her place.”  He poured himself a cup of tea and eyed her over the pot. “I take it you are in no rush to add to the family tree, hm? No Isenbello, Isumdonna—” Belladonna laughed and began twisting a strand of hair.

“Not likely! Isengar is barely in short pants and these brothers of mine keep romancing silly girls and churning out one Took after another. Where would the Tooks be without their resident dry-nurse!” She nodded in Donna’s direction, who could still be heard stamping away in anger. “With the way that one’s been looking at the Boffin boy, I’m sure I’ll have another one like Isumbras on my hands, and, you know, mama is getting on in years, she can’t be mothering a whole new barrel of grandchildren!” she rambled, pulling even harder on the curl she had in hand. Gandalf nodded and sipped his tea. “And besides, I want…” she paused and looked at Gandalf earnestly. “I want to go on an adventure.” Gandalf raised his eyebrows.

“An adventure, my dear girl?” He placed the cup down on the table and folded his hands. “What sort of adventure do you propose?” Belladonna blushed, suddenly shy for her admission.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, worrying her hair again. “I’ve been spending so much time in father’s library, reading about the great deeds of Elves and Men…” her voice trailed off. “I’ve even been teaching myself Elven speak!” She cleared her throat, “Nay sayan luume’, Gandalf.”

“Ah, that would be more like na _e_ sa _i_ an, but that is quite impressive, Belladonna. Not many hobbits set out to learn the speech of Elves.” Belladonna smiled eagerly, and released her hair, which was in danger of snapping. She sat up straighter in her chair and leaned in expectantly. “But I’m afraid I have no adventures to offer you, Miss Took!” Her face fell, but before she could protest, Gerontius Took lurched through the door and flung his arms out in welcome.

“Gandalf!” he boomed, “my old friend, it is so good to see you. I trust my girls have given you a warm welcome,” he said, turning to Belladonna with a wink.

“Warm as ever,” Gandalf said, and rose from his seat with some difficulty, bending to avoid hitting the ceiling. “Your delightful daughters were just filling me in with news of the family. But I would like to invite you to go out walking, I have some important matters to discuss with you before we get on with the celebration.”

“Of course, of course, lead on!” Gerontius said, opening the door and stepping out. “Bell, go fetch us some pipeweed, will you? I daresay it’s been a while since our Gandalf has had any half as good as the Tooks’ family stores, eh?” Belladonna stood up and walked with heavy feet to the cabinet and fished out a satchel. “That’s my girl, go tell your mum I’m off on a ramble with our guest.” 

She nodded numbly and watched as the pair shuffled off, lighting their pipes and chuckling down the road. She did not go to Adamanta, relay her father’s message, and offer to take back Isumbras. She instead walked to the Took library and huddled in the corner she had dug out of books for herself years ago and stared up at the ceiling. It was one of the few places in the Great Smials she could ever be alone, but for the first time, the solitude weighed heavily upon her. She scooted over towards a chest that Hildifons had carved for her, and opened it.

Inside were a few scrolls and tiny bound books, carefully arranged. Picking one up, she began turning the pages with reverence.

“It is a poor gift,” Gandalf had said when he had presented it to her eight years earlier. “Only a draft of a poem, the scribblings of an elf lost in thought, but I thought perhaps it would capture your fancy.” Her eyes shone with wonder as she turned through the pages.

“They write so elegantly!” she cried, running a finger over the fluid script. “It’s too lovely to dwell in a hobbit hole!” 

“And the elf who wrote it would claim a hobbit hole is too lovely to house it with much care!” he replied, pressing the book into her hand. “They are very fastidious about their verse, and I’m afraid this is not what they consider their best. The elf I rescued this from was preparing to burn it, but I suggested there was a young halfing in Tuckborough who would find it most enchanting.”

“Oh Gandalf! That’s so kind, thank you!”

“Thank the elf! I’m afraid my story only encouraged him to set it aflame, he protested quite vehemently that it was unfit for an audience to see.”

“How did you convince him otherwise?” she gasped, clutching the book as though the elf might swoop into the Great Smials and snatch it back. Gandalf laughed and puffed on his pipe.

“I said it would make an excellent teaching tool for the hobbit girl who spent many days searching the woods for elves,” he said, and she blushed. “A hobbit girl with stars etched into her eyes. I said she would be indebted to him for this gift, and hold it in the highest regard for all her days.”

“And?”

“And what do you think, my dear Miss Took! That quite convinced him, although you’ll note by the scorch marks that it was begrudgingly given. I advise you to work hard and learn the words he spared for your sake. One day you may meet him, and want to give him due thanks.” Belladonna’s eyes widened.

“Do you really think I might?” she said breathlessly, her mind swimming with images of noble elf men and women who wore stars on their brows. Gandalf harrumphed, his mercurial mood suddenly turning towards impatience as it was wont to do.

“Miss Took, I seldom say what I do not mean! I daresay Hildifons has already met with some wandering elves and will promptly return to subject you to a dreadful recitation of Elvish poetry he picked up along the way,” he said with a wink. Belladonna gave him a lopsided smile.

“Then I shall have to find my own Elves and outdo him.”

But Hildifons had not returned promptly, she thought as she shut the book and placed it back inside the chest. Nearly ten years had passed since he had left the Shire in search of Elves and adventures, and no word had come from him or Gandalf concerning his well-being or whereabouts. Although some of the family still held out for his return, many had given up hope and quietly mourned his passing. 

It had been a dreadful blow for Adamanta and Gerontius in particular—Hildifons would be the second of their children to predecease them. If the Smials had been insular before, it became nigh impenetrable after, and a quiet anxiety reverberated through the main branch of the Took family. Many were sure that they’d all been born under an unlucky star, and were unwilling to tempt their fortune again. Belladonna did not believe stars could be unlucky, but her protestations went unheeded, and as the years passed by, she watched as her hopes of finding Elves dwindled.

Times of dwindling hope are, of course, ripe for the sudden appearance of wizards.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think that Gandalf's greeting to Bilbo in "The Hobbit" is something culled from his memory of Belladonna as a young woman (so of course "Do you mean to wish me a good morning..." is a direct quote from "The Hobbit" and all credit and copyright goes where it's due). I'd also like to think I've rather fastidiously researched the Took family tree--so all the Hobbits named are real Tolkien characters save for Isumbras Jr.; Isembold is only listed as having "many descendants" so it seemed reasonable he might name one for a favorite brother. The hobbits, rabbits and robbits is a bit of a Tolkien gag--a lot to do with philology, "native" English vocabulary, and Tolkien's insistence to his contemporary fans that Hobbits were nothing like rabbits, while he threw rabbit/hobbit comparisons left and right in "The Hobbit". Belladonna is about twenty-five where this story begins, and it's an ongoing work, so keep checking back!


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